In the Arctic, a group of explorers persevered through impossible conditions to reach their destination after weeks through a blinding white landscape and biting cold. They become the first humans ever to reach the North Pole. 

In March 1909, explorers Matthew Henson and Robert Peary embarked on a mission to conquer the most treacherous parts of the world—the Arctic—intending to go down in history as one of the greatest adventurers of his time. 

The words “Arctic expedition” are almost synonymous with “Robert Peary.” His name is seeded into monuments, ships, and mountains. However, because of the color of his skin, Matthew Henson’s great contributions to the legendary expedition have largely gone unsung—until recently. 

Matthew Henson was born on a farm to a family of free people of color on a farm in Maryland. He lost his mother and father at a young age and was sent to live with his uncle. When he was ten years old, he heard Frederick Douglass speak at a ceremony honoring Abraham Lincoln.

Henson soon impressed the merchant ship’s captain, Captain Childs, and under his tutelage, he learned to read and write. At only 12 years old, he saw more of the world than most people of his time—Russia, Japan, North Africa, and China—before returning to America upon the captain’s passing. 

In 1887, the United States government aimed to establish a trade route through Central America connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The Panama Canal was still several years in the making, and at the time, planners suggested using Nicaragua as the most suitable location. 

Peary had a few errands to run in preparation for his trip to Nicaragua. He stepped into B.H. Stinemetz and Sons, the clothing store where Henson was working. He overheard a conversation he was having about his seafaring exploits with one of his colleagues. 

Henson and Peary worked extremely well together on their survey outing. Their combined expertise allowed them to flourish in the jungles of Nicaragua. While they formed their bond in the sweltering heat of the Nicaraguan wilds, their fate lay in faraway lands of unbearable cold. 

During their early expeditions to the Arctic, Henson and Peary explored Greenland. They accomplished much—greatest of all by being the first to map the ice cap fully. In the 1890s, they transported a large number of meteorites from the Arctic to the United States.

Henson and Peary spent the next 20 years on expeditions into the arctic, pushing further and further north. During this time, Henson began picking up the Innuit language and learning how to survive the way the locals did, including mastering dog sled driving. 

Henson and Peary and a crew of 20 others departed from New York on July 6, 1908. Their journey included a stop in Greenland, where they recruited several Inuit explorers to their team. From there, they set sail for Ellesmere Island, located off the Canadian coast. 

Peary is the one remembered for the expeditions toward the pole and credited for his leadership, but Henson was the real mastermind behind many of the trips. His talent for problem-solving helped get the team out of several jams. 

Matthew Henson’s greatest contribution during the historic Arctic expedition was his relationship with the Inuit. After mastering their language, he built a rapport with the locals, earning him the nickname “Mahri-Pahluk,” or “Matthew the Kind One.” 

Henson was rarely left with spare time on his hands. His services were always in demand, and he had a well-honed skill for each task. Carpenterting, tailoring, barbering, interpreting, dog handling, and training—Henson did it all. However, he did spend many of his odd hours amongst the Inuit people.

Some of Henson’s family still make their lives out in Greenland, though some have since moved away to the United States and Sweden. One of Henson’s relatives has made a name for herself in Hollywood. In fact, she’s a star you have probably seen on the silver screen at least once.

Before the 1909 Arctic expedition, Matthew Henson was a lesser-known name in the world of exploration. Despite being Robert Peary’s trusted partner, Henson was hardly recognized for his contributions. However, his value became apparent throughout the mission – and he proved indispensable to the expedition’s success. 

After strategically depositing caches of supplies along their intended route, Henson, Peary, and four Inuit team members set out on April 2, 1909, leaving their base camp behind. For five days, they trekked towards the North Pole, driving their dog sleds for up to 14 hours at a time—without taking a break. 

As the story goes, after reaching their destination, Peary used the sun’s position to confirm that they had reached the North Pole. The team then unfurled an American flag, taking a photograph to commemorate their achievement. Their return journey would be a grueling one. 

Peary or Henson planted the flag, and a photograph was taken. On the return journey, the team traversed over 400 miles in sub-zero temperatures with dwindling supplies. They also faced difficulties with their dogs, who had grown weak and weary from the harsh conditions. 

Peary and Henson were not the only ones vying for the title of the first explorers to reach the top of the world. The American explorer Frederick Cook had set out the previous year, following a route described by Otto Sverdrup—a Norwegian sailor—at the turn of the century. 

Peary was initially alarmed by Cook’s claim and rushed to make his announcement from a wireless station. The competing claims caused much debate in the press and public. However, Cook first swayed public opinion, returning to New York on September 21 to much fanfare. 

On the other hand, Peary had the support and power of the establishment and significant financial resources behind him. He took measures to undermine Cook’s claims, such as preventing a friend of Cook’s from sending the explorer’s instruments back to the U.S. 

Peary was unquestioningly recognized as the man who discovered the North Pole for many years, while Cook’s claims were dismissed as unproven. But in 1988, a study by the National Geographic Society cast doubts on Peary’s claim of reaching the pole, suggesting that he may have fallen short by as much as 30 to 60 miles. 

While the Peary VS Cook debate still rages on, the lesser-made point that neither might have been the first to make it to the pole still fails to reach many ears. Henson claims to have seen his footprints in the snow after overstepping his target long before Peary arrived.

Of course, Peary had made great contributions to the venture. He raised the capital needed and was, in his own right, a great explorer. But hours before they arrived at the pole, Peary could not go on—bound to a dog sled while Henson scouted ahead.

Following their successful attempt at making it to the North Pole, Henson, and Peary’s friendship began falling apart. Perhaps, Henson stood as a living reminder that he had, at most, come second in the race—and deep down, all the accolades he imagined enjoying upon his return rang hollow.

Peary’s final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery is marked by a monumental grave. Henson, meanwhile, was originally buried in a spot in Woodlawn Cemetery under an unremarkable monument. In 1988, he received the “honor” of being reinterred with his wife next to Peary’s in Arlington. 

Taraji P. Henson—an American singer and actor—can trace her ancestry to the same Inuit guide. While Henson’s life of Hollywood glamor and fame seems far removed from the Arctic exploration of her ancestor, they are very much linked.

Where does Taraji P. Henson fall on the family line? The actress said that her great-great-uncle was the great Arctic explorer’s cousin. “He was the brother of my great-great-grandfather,” she said. This makes Taraji Matthew Henson’s great-great-grandniece. 

It’s possible that there are still undiscovered letters from Peary out there somewhere. According to Taraji, “Somebody in the family had all this great correspondence until one day when their apartment was robbed.”

Taraji P. Henson’s ancestry is not limited to her connection to the legendary explorer of the North Pole region. Like many African Americans, Taraji’s family history blends different cultures and traditions shaped by centuries of migration and struggle. 

In a 2012 video uploaded to YouTube by the Africa Channel, it was revealed that Taraji P. Henson is also descended from the Masa people of Cameroon through her mother’s lineage. Her ancestry is undoubtedly diverse, but Henson has always been determined to carve her own path in life using her talent and grit. 

Taraji P. Henson is known for her amazing acting skills, but she also has a talent for math. She originally wanted to be a mathematician and even attended North Carolina A&T State University on a full scholarship to study electrical engineering.

Taraji P. Henson began her career as a background performer while working as a secretary for the Pentagon. She also worked as a singer-dancer-waitress on a dinner cruise ship in the evenings. She made a breakthrough with her role as Yvette in the 2001 film Baby Boy. 

Throughout her career, Taraji P. Henson has garnered numerous awards and accolades for her acting skills. Among her achievements are a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She was also the first woman of color to receive the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress. 

Her performance as the NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson in the critically acclaimed film Hidden Figures (2016) garnered widespread recognition and praise. In addition to winning a Screen Actors Guild Award and receiving nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, Henson was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2016. 

After returning from the North Pole, Henson reportedly settled into a relatively quiet life and took a job at the custom house in New York City at the suggestion of President Roosevelt. While Henson did not achieve the same level of fame and recognition as Peary, he remained a respected member of the African American community and an inspiration to generations of adventurers and explorers. 

After returning from the North Pole, Henson lived a relatively quiet life, working at the New York City customs house with the help of a recommendation from President Taft. It wasn’t until 1937, at 72, that he received any recognition for his achievements. 

Besides the fact that Henson acted as a pallbearer for Peary’s funeral, it is unclear whether Henson and Peary ever reconciled before Peary’s death in 1920. However, they were ultimately reunited in death. Henson was initially buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City but was reinterred with honors at Arlington National Cemetery in 1988. 

Taraji P. Henson has always been vocal about her admiration and respect for her great-great-grand-uncle Matthew Henson. Speaking to the African American Literature Book Club, the actress credited her ancestor’s spirit for inspiring her to achieve success.